Delightful, I first heard about Russ Meyer as a teenager watching Jonathan Ross’ Incredibly Strange Film Show (which is below from YouTube). Russ Meyer made films (soft porn) but they’re also pretty arty. There are also collectively a celebration of pneumatic ladies of 50s, 60s and 70s.
These films are highly distinctive; Russ shot the films and edited them himself. The lighting and style is pure comic book and when watched on proper prints it’s clear that Russ was a master cameraman and a good, if obvious editor.
Russ was an independent filmmaker before such a thing really existed, and he probably made more money than anyone else going. He was also a celebrated war hero and claims to have mixed with some major figures during the war.
Anyway, Jonathan Ross has a real passion for this guy. It’s worth watching this great documentary but if I were to pick one Russ Meyer film that sums them all up I’d say watch Beneath The Valley of the Ultravixens. It’s funny, saucy and has some great looking ladies.
So, 33 films to go…
Matthew Cooper has written for Emmerdale, Eastenders, Hollyoaks and Family Affairs. He was winner of the first ever Lloyds Bank Channel Four Film Challenge and the Oscar Moore Screenplay Prize. His first short film starred a then unknown Ewan McGregor and was picked up by Channel Four when Matthew was 19 years old. He’s been a script writer for hire and filmmaker for hire for over 20 years.